diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4daff334b..dce16df84 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Changelog
 
+<!-- markdownlint-disable no-duplicate-heading blanks-around-fences single-h1 -->
+
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 The format is (mostly) based on
@@ -44,6 +46,9 @@ So your change should look like:
   @mflerackers
 - Added xorshift32 as random generator (#1057) - @mflerackers
 - **(examples)** Added a new `gacha` example! (#1057) - @imaginarny
+- Added the `LevelCompOpt.charsPerTile` option for the `level()` component and
+  `addLevel` which lets you use more than one character per tile, that way you
+  can make clearer maps without having to resort to Unicode - @dragoncoder047
 - Added Alea as random generator (#1097) - @Stanko
 
 ### Changed
@@ -95,6 +100,12 @@ So your change should look like:
 - Fixed broadphase objects cleared on scene switch including those with `stay()`
   (#1077) - @imaginarny, @mflerackers
 
+### Added
+
+- Added a `repack: false` option to `loadSpite()` and a repack parameter to
+  `loadSpriteAtlas()`, for faster loading if you're packing stuff at build-time
+  (#1063) - @dragoncoder047
+
 ## [4000.0.0-alpha.27] - 2026-03-19
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/examples/multicharLevel.js b/examples/multicharLevel.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..777a7465d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/multicharLevel.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/**
+ * @file Multi-Character Level
+ * @description Build levels from ASCII
+ * @difficulty 0
+ * @tags basics, game
+ * @minver 4000.0
+ * @category basics
+ */
+
+kaplay();
+
+loadBean();
+loadSprite("bobo", "/sprites/bobo.png");
+loadSprite("dino", "/sprites/dino.png");
+loadSprite("ghosty", "/sprites/ghosty.png");
+
+addLevel([
+    "bean    dino",
+    "    ghos    bobo",
+], {
+    pos: vec2(100, 100),
+    tileWidth: 50,
+    tileHeight: 50,
+    charsPerTile: 4,
+    tiles: {
+        bean: () => [sprite("bean")],
+        bobo: () => [sprite("bobo")],
+        dino: () => [sprite("dino")],
+        ghos: () => [sprite("ghosty")],
+    },
+});
diff --git a/src/ecs/components/level/level.ts b/src/ecs/components/level/level.ts
index a239a5260..510ed0b6e 100644
--- a/src/ecs/components/level/level.ts
+++ b/src/ecs/components/level/level.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,31 @@ export interface LevelCompOpt {
         sym: string,
         pos: Vec2,
     ) => CompList<Comp> | null | undefined;
+    /**
+     * The number of characters that specify one tile.
+     *
+     * If the line length isn't a multiple of this, the last tile will be padded
+     * with spaces to be the same length before things get looked up.
+     *
+     * @example
+     * ```js
+     * addLevel([
+     *     "BABA IS YOU",
+     * ], {
+     *     tileWidth: 24,
+     *     tileHeight: 24,
+     *     charsPerTile: 4,
+     *     tiles: {
+     *         "BABA": () => [sprite("text_baba")],
+     *         " IS ": () => [sprite("text_is")],
+     *         "YOU ": () => [sprite("text_you")],
+     *     }
+     * });
+     * ```
+     *
+     * @default 1
+     */
+    charsPerTile?: number;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -242,7 +267,7 @@ export function level(map: string[], opt: LevelCompOpt): LevelComp {
     };
 
     // The connectivity map is used to see whether two locations are connected
-    // -1: inaccesible n: connectivity group
+    // -1: inaccessible n: connectivity group
     const createConnectivityMap = (level: GameObj<LevelComp>) => {
         const size = level.numRows() * level.numColumns();
         const traverse = (i: number, index: number) => {
@@ -344,13 +369,15 @@ export function level(map: string[], opt: LevelCompOpt): LevelComp {
         id: "level",
 
         add(this: GameObj<LevelComp>) {
-            map.forEach((row, i) => {
-                const keys = row.split("");
-                numColumns = Math.max(keys.length, numColumns);
-                keys.forEach((key, j) => {
-                    this.spawn(key, vec2(j, i));
-                });
-            });
+            const charsPerTile = opt.charsPerTile ?? 1;
+            for (let y = 0; y < map.length; y++) {
+                const row = map[y]!;
+                for (let j = 0, x = 0; j < row.length; j += charsPerTile) {
+                    this.spawn(row.slice(j, j + charsPerTile), vec2(x, y));
+                    x++;
+                    if (numColumns < x) numColumns = x;
+                }
+            }
         },
 
         tileWidth() {
@@ -370,6 +397,7 @@ export function level(map: string[], opt: LevelCompOpt): LevelComp {
 
             const comps = (() => {
                 if (typeof key === "string") {
+                    key = key.padEnd(opt.charsPerTile ?? 1);
                     if (opt.tiles[key]) {
                         if (typeof opt.tiles[key] !== "function") {
                             throw new Error(